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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26823196">Valentine's Day</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vesperione/pseuds/Vesperione'>Vesperione</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hatchetober [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Fluffy Dates, Hatchetober day 4: time, Hoodie wearing, Loss of a sibling, Love, Minecraft, Sarcasm, TWs:, bcs black friday characters are mentioned only, car crash, emma commits arson in minecraft, emma is in love with arson in minecraft, isnt tagged as black friday, mention of shitty parents, mentions of commiting arson in minecraft, mentions of vomit though it's just emma being sarcastic, paul builds a cottage in minecraft, paul matthews is a fuKCiNG siMp, proceeding, they are in love, theyre just rlly soft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:29:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,483</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26823196</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vesperione/pseuds/Vesperione</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma meets a beanpole on Valentine's Day 2018 after the worst christmas of her life, and it isn't long before she's head over heels</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Paul Matthews/Emma Perkins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hatchetober [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949110</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Valentine's Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>if you couldn't tell, emma commits arson in minecraft</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>How had she wound back up there? She couldn’t tell. Two years ago, her life had been perfect. Two years ago, she hadn’t had to worry about her sister’s funeral, or being a good aunt, or finding a job, or having to pay rent. She also wouldn’t have had to worry about perfect grades, or making it in the wider world even <em>though </em>she was 30 years old. She wouldn’t have to worry if she was back in Guatamala, and Jane hadn’t died because Tom <em>fucking </em>Houston hadn’t been looking where he was driving.</p><p>It was unfortunate, and she tried not to blame him for her sister’s death, but it was hard, it was so hard not to. They had Tim in the back, for crying out loud, and he’d been asleep. They’d been going home from The Lakeside Mall, and Tom hadn’t checked the intersection between Hatchetfield High and Sycamore, only assuming that the coast was clear, and drove forward. Jane’s side was hit hard, and she died on impact, though they wouldn’t discover that until they were in the hospital.</p><p>She received the call, and it broke her. Her and Jane hadn’t been as close as one would hope, due to a ten-year age difference, but they were as close as they could be. Even though there were extremely obvious differences, with Jane striving to be the best of the best, and Emma doing…the opposite, Jane still gave her younger sister advice, and gave her food whenever she was grounded or was too scared to face their parents.</p><p>Yet she found herself asking how she’d ended up back where she was. She was sat on the couch, beside her beanpole boyfriend, who was currently playing some sort of game she didn’t understand on the TV. He had asked her to play, the game being “Minecraft,” whatever the fuck <em>that </em>was, but she had politely declined. Well, she’d told him she was gonna “fucking revise so you go beanpole,” but that was just her. He’d smiled, and kissed her cheek, and flicked on the game, leaving her to it.</p><p>How had she been so lucky? She’d been through so much, and she’d sworn she wasn’t making it in life, and yet she was in her small, shared house, with her dumbass boyfriend who was far too good at knowing if she was in a bad mood, and could tell what she needed before she said she needed it, who took the best care of her even when she was in a bad mood, or had a shitty day. They lived just next to Pinebrook, and both of their jobs were a ten-minute walk away. Sure, working at Beanies <em>still </em>wasn’t ideal, but Paul was.</p><p>Though Emma had always hated Hatchetfield, Paul made it worth living in. He got so excited about his hyperfixations, and she loved to see him stimming while he ranted to her. When they’d first started dating, he’d originally apologised for it, but she’d reassured him it was okay, and encouraged him to speak up more. He also listened to her whenever she needed to vent. Paul wasn’t the best at giving advice, but it didn’t matter to Emma. She had someone to talk to, someone who tried to understand who cared deeply for her, who was a shoulder to lean on when times got tough.</p><p>Paul made Hatchetfield worth living in. She’d found that he was attached to the island, for it was the only home he’d ever known. She’d wanted to move away from the island as soon as she got back, but Paul was reluctant. They went on vacation when they could, and Emma showed him Guatamala, and then they began to look at places similar. Somehow, they decided on Colorado, and were looking on jobs and houses over there. She struggled to believe that this was what her life was going to become. It didn’t make sense.  </p><p>She’d been used to having absolutely nothing that she wanted, and everything being given to Jane. Now, that Jane was gone, and she snuggled closer into Paul’s side as she watched him build a house, humming some sort of song to himself, she still refused to accept that she’d gotten lucky, and her parents couldn’t control her anymore. With the town being small, it wasn’t like the news hadn’t spread around slowly. People were in shock that dorky Paul Matthews, who was pale, wore suits, and towered a foot over Emma, had managed to win her over with his lame attempt at flirting. They were shocked that sarcastic, numb Emma Perkins had managed to fall for the man who could barely form a sentence. Everyone had been amazed, and some had been stunned by the news.</p><p>So, imagine their <em>horror </em>when they discovered she’d been wooed over black coffee.</p><p>It had started at Beanies, when it had been a busy February morning. It was Valentine’s Day, so people were throwing around romantic gestures for their significant others, and Emma was nauseated. At the age of 30, she’d accepted the fact she wouldn’t be dating anytime soon, and would most likely be single for life, so she absolutely <em>despised </em>that day. It meant that, to make the average Hatchetfield citizen stand out, that they’d be making the most extravagant drinks to impress the other. But, for a Beanies barista, it fucking sucked. Sure, their coffee was cheaper than Starbucks’, but it didn’t mean that it was better quality wise.</p><p>All of a sudden, people started asking for their regular Starbucks orders to be made in Beanies instead for a discount, and it caused Emma to roll her eyes so far back into her head, she feared they may have gotten stuck there and she’d be blind for the rest of her life, not that she minded. Then she wouldn’t have to look at the people on the island, each in a hurry in their own kind of way.</p><p>She noticed this the most when people asked for their orders. There was a guy with sandy blonde hair in a trenchcoat beside a tall man in a suit with glasses, and they both got the same drink, except the guy in a trenchcoat tipped her. He got his drink first, because Emma had always made drinks faster if she was tipped from the start. Others began to copy the man’s tactic. There was a tall man with a leather jacket and shades who smiled politely when he ordered, asking for a mocha with an extra shot of coffee. Emma could tell he meant well, so she started on his drink, but sped up when he handed her a dollar. He was one of her favourite customers that day, and it brightened her mood for about half a second until her aunt Linda walked in. She didn’t tip Emma, so she gave the job to Nora. A cop walked in, and the tallest one draped himself across the counter and started flirting with Zoey. Emma left him to it.</p><p>And then came her favourite band of customers with an added man that joined them. They came down from CCRP Tech, which didn’t only pay enough so the people could live in comfort without being rich, but they were also fucking hilarious. There was Melissa, who wore glasses and had wavy brown hair. She wore cardigans and blazers with skirts, and though innocent, Emma saw her walking past the store during closing hours with a cat and a baseball bat with nails in the end of it. Emma liked Melissa the most. There was Bill, who was a tall man who had the kindest heart who told Emma all about his daughter, Alice, and how she was doing. There was Charlotte, who wore oversized sweaters and long skirts, and she was a sweetheart who missed her husband. Emma had a feeling that “husband” was the cop who’d been flirting with Zoey. Gross. But the only person who could top Mr Asshole Cop on the grossness scale was the sleazeball known as Ted, who flirted with everyone, and she <em>meant </em>everyone within a reasonable age limit. He was greasy all over, and looked like he hadn’t washed in a year, and somehow managed to get laid every weekend. That was probably the effects of drinking shitty alcohol at the bar; things became ten times hotter.</p><p>But this new guy? This new guy, she hadn’t seen before. He was dressed in a brown suit, with a white shirt underneath that, and he was the smartest dressed out of the most of them, dare she say. He had short brown hair clipped neatly with a side parting to the right, and he had the softest, roundest blue eyes she had ever seen. He was tall, and skinny, and pale, and she could tell he was different.</p><p>She’d noticed them when she’d peered out of the window and saw them approaching the store. She hadn’t expected her breath to be stolen so suddenly by such a beautiful man. As she inhaled sharply, bracing herself for when the group entered, she gulped. She wasn’t prepared to have an interaction with someone she could have already potentially fallen for.</p><p>She didn’t believe in love at first sight. It was stupid, and only happened in fairy tales. Jane had believed in it, and had fallen for Tom. She knew, because she’d written that in a letter to Emma. Emma blatantly refused to accept that fact, and looked at the science behind it, always seeking out the logical reasons behind every choice she made. This occasion, however? It was the anomaly, where she couldn’t use her scientific knowledge to back up the fact that her heart had stopped when her eyes had focused on the taller man.</p><p>She thought of it as a one-time thing, and, as the group approached the counter, she saw the fuzzy smile that was on the man’s face, and her heart gave an unfamiliar flutter. She decided she hated that feeling, and turned to Melissa instead. “Hi! What can I get you on this overly romantic day that’s already made me vomit in my mouth twice due to the chaotic amount of flirting happening under our store’s roof?” She smiled sarcastically, followed by a laugh from Melissa.</p><p>“Can I get a green tea, a white mocha latte, a caramel frappe, a hot chocolate for Bill’s kid, chai iced tea and-“</p><p>“Could you guys get any more complicated?” Emma laughed as she smiled at them. “God, I bet you think I got all the time in the world to make these drinks for you, hey? Do you think I’m made of time?”</p><p>“Uh, I’ll have a black coffee? That doesn’t take too long, right?” The mystery guy asked, and Emma met his eyes, and found herself stopping, her own eyes widening slightly.</p><p>“Oh, Emma, this is Paul. We convinced him to come down to Beanies with us today because he’s a fucking virgin who needs to get laid-“ Ted piped up and Melissa elbowed him hard in the side. Paul’s face immediately turned red as he hit his fists together.</p><p>“That’s not true,” he mumbled, and Emma felt her heart drop.</p><p>“Okay, so that’ll be $10.24, and Ted’s drink will be $5 on its own please and thank you for embarrassing the new part of the squad.” She said, and turned, smirking when she heard Ted scoff, and a note being dropped into the tip jar. She hummed a <em>“thank you!” </em>as she set on making Paul’s drink first, calling to Nora to help with some of the more complicated drinks.</p><p>She placed the cups in the cup holder, but realised that they’d ran out so there could only be four drinks in one place. She figured it out, and handed Melissa the main four drinks, shoved Ted’s drink into his hand, and held Paul’s out to him, with a smile. “Black coffee, right?”</p><p>It caught his attention and he blinked, almost as if he were taking in the smile that was on Emma’s face. He gulped himself and nodded as a smile formed back on his own face, his eyes brightening as he thanked her, and put a ten-dollar bill in the jar. Emma didn’t notice until they left, and she felt terrible he’d wasted ten dollars on the store. Then she realised that there’d been a soft blush on his cheeks as he’d met her eyes, and the grin that was nervous that accompanied it. Then she realised the ten dollars had been meant <em>just </em>for her. Swiftly, she pocketed it, and called to Nora she was heading on break.</p>
<hr/><p>So much had changed since last Valentine’s Day. Time sped up, and suddenly, in the middle of August, had Emma written a simple message to Paul on the outside of his cup asking him on a date. The date went well, and they went on another few before they declared they were a couple at Christmas. It was highly romantic, if she said so herself. Paul had immediately said yes, and though they’d only been on a few dates, and had only known each other since February, it felt like they knew each other for years.</p><p>They got to know each other very well during times where they didn’t want to go on dates, but wanted to be in each other’s company. Those nights often led to cuddles on the couch with a shitty Netflix film on in the background. Emma discovered that Paul liked gaming, and he liked to analyse unusual pieces of media, and could hyperfixate on questionable topics that he had to hide from people who’d judge him, such as his coworkers. She learnt he was autistic, and he’d been nervous to tell her, but she didn’t see how it changed him, apart from the fact it explained his anxieties. She also discovered he went to Sycamore, which was the nerdier, poorer school, and found that Paul’s parents, though they meant well, had bought Paul up in a poor environment, which was why he was such a subtle personality. Paul Matthews, though irrelevant to Emma, was a Pisces, which explained a <em>lot </em>as well.</p><p>Emma opened up to him little by little. Living on a small island had the perks of not having to explain her full life story, for he already knew about Jane. She told him about her shitty parents, and going to Hatchetfield High, and how she left for Guatamala as soon as she graduated. She explained how thrilling the adventures she went on while backpacking were, and how she’d love to go back at some point, and how she’d like to take Paul there for a vacation of sorts one day. She also told him about how she was studying botany with the dream of starting a pot farm, and he’d laughed at that, and his laugh was a blissful drug she could get high on forever.</p><p>From there on out, their relationship escalated high. Valentines Day 2019 came around, and Emma had had a shitty day. She always did whenever it was that time of year, for the reminders of Jane came flooding back. She warned Paul early in the day, and told him jokingly she’d end up spending the day with her professor, but she found out that same day that Hidgens was also in the same boat she was in, for he was missing a loved one of his own. She ended up in bed, listening to a crime podcast, and didn’t hear her beanpole boyfriend at the door. She only became aware of him when he sent her a text asking if she was okay, and that he was outside.</p><p>She turned off the podcast, put her phone down, pulled on one of his hoodies that literally drowned her, and walked downstairs. She opened the door, and he stood there with a gentle smile on his face and a bag in hand. “Hi,” he said, and she rubbed her eye as she smiled, trying to wake herself up.</p><p>“Hey, come in, sorry, I was-“</p><p>“Don’t worry about it. You had a bad day,” he said as she moved out of the way and let him in. She led him to the couch, where she curled up under his hoodie as he took his seat beside her. He placed the bag in his lap, and reached inside of it. Emma, curiously, peered over, and Paul pulled the bag away from her, teasing her with a smile. Eventually, he pulled out a takeaway cup and held it out to her.</p><p>“How the <em>fuck </em>did you keep that steady all the way here?” She asked, shocked, as she took it, laughing.</p><p>He smiled and shrugged as he pulled out one for himself. “I’m just a genius.”</p><p>“You sure as hell are, Matthews.” She smiled and took a sip, underestimating how strong it was gonna be. Her eyes widened and she spluttered, managing to swallow the coffee, as she looked over to her boyfriend. “Asshole! Black coffee with no warning?” She said and nudged him. He smiled and took a sip of his own.</p><p>“Yeah. I mean, it was what I ordered last year, and I got myself your regular order from Starbucks. I thought-“</p><p>“Oh. My. God. You are <em>such </em>a fucking sap.” She laughed, but cuddled into his side. “But I don’t think I’d want you any other way.”</p>
<hr/><p>After that, they spent as much time with each other as they could, and by July, Paul asked Emma to move in with him. How could she say no to that? By August, they’d shared their first “<em>I love you”s </em>in bed beside one another, and had gone back to Guatamala so Emma could show Paul how wonderous it is. They were only planning their future as time moved forward. It bought them back to now, with Paul happily building the small house, with Emma watching in with a soft smile on her face. She leaned on his shoulder and spoke up.</p><p>“Are you making us the house we’re gonna live in when I sell weed all over the US?” Emma asked, a tone of sarcasm to her face, and Paul chuckled.</p><p>“Close, but no. I’m making a cottage for when you decide to start playing with me. I’m only building it now, and hiding your controller, because you’d try and blow things up and end up fighting all the zombies and shit.”</p><p>“You can do that? You can commit arson in Minecraft? Fuck, Paul, why didn’t you tell me sooner! Gimme! I want a go!” She said and went to grab his controller, but Paul laughed and held it above his head. Emma scrunched up her nose and moved off of Paul, reaching to grab the controller, but he stood up, holding the controller above his head. Emma, determined to win, stood on the couch and jumped on Paul, succeeding in snatching the controller eventually after he lowered his arm slightly. She smiled and cuddled into him. “I’m so gonna commit arson in Minecraft.”</p><p>“Just don’t waste all your time on it. And <em>please </em>don’t wreck my house, I’ve spent like four hours on it already, I just want it to be perfect.” He wrapped his arms around Emma’s waist to hold her so she wouldn’t slip. He sat down on the couch, and let her sit between his legs as he hugged her, watching her play the game, exploring the different aspects of it.</p><p>“Holy fuck this is so fucking cool! And you make it out to be some sort of lame thing where you build houses. Sorry, man, but I’m gonna build a torture dungeon in our house-“</p><p>“As long as it doesn’t wreck the other layers, I’ll be okay with you doing that.” He kissed her hair and smiled as he watched her build and wreck away at the land. “I love you, Emma.”</p><p>“I love you too, Paul. And I want you to know, even though I just discovered like, the best game in the world-“</p><p>“I’ve been asking you if you want to play this with me since 8 AM,” he laughed, but listened.</p><p>“Well, yeah, but it’s our day off and that shit <em>was boring </em>until you mentioned arson! Anyways, I hope you realise I’ll always make time for you, you black coffee drinking dork.”</p><p>“And I always have time for you, my crime committing girlfriend,” he said and hugged her tighter, as she cuddled into him.</p><p>Times like these were rare, with both of their busy schedules, but somehow they fit together like a star that belonged in the universe. They were a perfect placement, and they were destined for each other. Love came rare to both of them, and it was luck that they’d found themselves on the most romantic day of the year.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>okay so it's based on a short story generator thingy and holy fuck it made me cry with laughter because the generator said that "emma fingered a round shoe" like what the FUck</p><p>anyways i hope ur enjoying my lack of mcnamander content and my paulkins fics that rose from the dead especially because emmA COMMITS ARSON IN MINECRAFT you know what? i think it's because 1000 ways to die has had an influence on me but the science behind it is so INtereSting leave a comment if you enjoyed, and i enjoy reading ur comments!! magic man with the funny words out (thats a clone high reference btw-)</p><p>and a bonus:<br/>Paul: and I always have time for you<br/>The Paulkins Stans: AND HE HAD TIME FOR HER-</p></blockquote></div></div>
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